His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church welcomed the relics of Saint Helena on Wednesday at the Patriarchal Cathedral, brought on pilgrimage from Venice. Empress Helena was “the first Christian pilgrim to the Holy Land” and “left us a spiritual legacy of inestimable value,” said the Patriarch of Romania.
His Beatitude emphasized that Romania is the second Orthodox country to receive the relics in the last eight centuries and recalled that their final destination in Romania is Pantocrator Monastery in Teleorman County, where they will remain for veneration until May 8, together with a relic of Saint Mary Magdalene the Myrrhbearer, which belongs to the monastery’s collection of holy treasures.
“It is a great joy for us, the Romanian people, that on this day, April 30, the holy relics are stopping for several hours at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, which is precisely under the protection of the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helena. This offers us the opportunity to venerate them with devotion and to receive the blessing of this great saint, who is honoured as Equal to the Apostles,” said Patriarch Daniel.
She laid the foundation for the tradition of pilgrimage
Speaking about the spiritual legacy of Saint Helena, His Beatitude said:
“Through her example of faith, devotion, and generosity—having helped many of the poor—she represents Christian rulers, church builders, and benefactors of the people.”
“Through her pilgrimage to the Holy Places to discover the Holy Cross, she became the first Christian pilgrim to the Holy Land, highlighting the importance of seeking out and venerating the sacred places and objects related to the life of the Lord Christ and the lives of the saints,” the Patriarch of Romania further emphasised.
“By discovering the Holy Cross, Saint Helena offered us a tangible symbol of Christ’s victory over sin and death, and by founding churches at the Holy Sites, she laid the foundation for a tradition of pilgrimage that continues to this day.”
His Beatitude offered a historical overview of the saint’s life and encouraged the faithful to pray to her for the good of the Church and of the country and to follow her example of faith and generosity.
“The Holy Empress Helena was 75 years old when she went to the Holy Places, and she lived five more years before passing to the Lord. During those five years, she built three or four churches and helped many Christian communities in the Holy Land,” Patriarch Daniel recalled.
“We are greatly blessed that, for the first time in this cathedral—built between 1656 and 1658 and dedicated to the Holy Emperors Constantine and Helena—her relics have now arrived.”
Gratitude for the initiative and involvement
Patriarch Daniel expressed his gratitude to Bishop Galaction of Alexandria and Teleorman for initiating the pilgrimage, to all those present for their participation, to the Romanian Gendarmerie, and to everyone involved in organising the event.
The delegation that welcomed the holy relics also included His Grace Bishop Galaction, Bishop of Alexandria and Teleorman—the diocese that initiated the pilgrimage with the relics of the saint—His Grace Bishop Paisie of Sinaia, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop, and His Grace Bishop Timotei of Prahova, Assistant Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bucharest.
The hierarchs were joined by the clergy of the Patriarchal Cathedral, as well as priests from the Patriarchal Administration and the Diocesan Center of Bucharest.
The reception of the saint’s relics at the Patriarchal Cathedral was broadcast live on social media by Trinitas TV, the Romanian Patriarchate’s television station.
The relics of Saint Helena are accompanied in Romania by Don Gianmatteo Caputo, Delegate for Cultural Heritage and Religious Buildings of the Patriarchate of Venice.
Following the ceremony at the Patriarchal Cathedral, a brief event took place at the Patriarchal Residence, where the Patriarch of Romania awarded Don Gianmatteo Caputo the Order of Saints Constantine and Helena.
Representatives of Pantocrator Monastery offered the Patriarchal Cathedral a specially commissioned icon to mark the occasion of bringing the relics of Saint Helena to Romania.
Series of Jubilee Events
The pilgrimage with the relics of the saint, brought from Venice, was initiated in conjunction with the patronal feast day of Pantocrator Monastery in the Diocese of Alexandria and Teleorman, as well as the Centennial Year of the Romanian Patriarchate.
The monastery will mark both May 4 (the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women), which also commemorates the Translation of the Relics of Saint Mary Magdalene from Ephesus to Constantinople, and May 8, the feast day of the monastery’s main church, dedicated to Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist.
Between May 5–6, 2024, the Diocesan Center in Alexandria and Pantocrator Monastery will host the National Symposium titled: “Faith, Ministry, and History in Ecclesial and National Contexts. 100 Years of Patriarchate and 1700 Years Since the First Ecumenical Council.”
This year marks the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325 AD), which was opened by Saint Emperor Constantine the Great and his mother, Saint Helena.
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Photo: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu
